Automatically-closing inkwell



7 o. N. KELLY AUTOMATICALLY cmsiu Isuzu.

Filed Nov. 1a. 1926 Patented May 17, 1927.

UNITED STAT S PATENT OFFICE.

oases 1v. KEELLY, or Los streams, camronnia. As'sIeNoa rornamt A. WEEKS MFG. 60., or New Years n. Y., a CORPORATION on NEW YORK.

AITTOMATICALLY-CLOSING INKWELL.

Application filed November 13, 1926. Serial No. 148,196.

This invention relates to automatic closing iu'kwells, and consists of a plain inkwell with a cover to close the full opening at the mouth of the well. the cover being moved upon the insertion of a pen into the well and being mounted upon the well body so that it will return automatically into closed position upon the withdrawal of the pen from the well.

The object of the invention is to provide a very simple construction of automatically closing ink-well, necessitating only two parts, the well body and the cover. Another object is to provide a well of this type which can be kept clean and which has only a very small pen mouth for the accumulation of dust. Another "object of the invention is the provision of a cover which is normally automatic in its closing, but which may be operated to act as an ordinary cover, without however having to remove it from the well.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter" appear in the following description and the novel features thereof will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

Like letters of reference indicate like arts throughout the several figures of the rawings, in which Figure 1 is a plan with corners of cover broken away showing one form of the invention,

Figure 2 is an elevation of this form,

Figure 3 is a section of the same taken upon the line 3-3 of Figure 1,

Figure 4 is a plan with a corner of the cover broken away showing a modified form of the invention,

Figure 5 is a section taken on the line 55 of Figure 4,

Figure 6 is a plan of a still further modified form,

Figures 7 and 8 are sections taken upon the lines 7-7 and 8-8 of Figure 6, and

Figure 9 is a section illustrating a further modified form of the invention.

The ink-well is composed of but two parts. the well body 10 and a cover 11. The well body shown in Figures 1 to 3 is of the ordinary type with an ink chamber 12 of maximum dimensions. The top of the well is provided with a front stop 13 and side guides 14. The cover normally rests in its closed position against the stop 13 and upon the guides ll. It is a flat cover, that is, it lies in a plane above the body of the well and covers the full opening in said body.

The stop 1? and the forward portion of the cover are correspondingly recessed to town a cup or pen mouth 15 for the insertion and guidance of a pen into the well: The cover itself is cupped centrally at 16, preter'ably for the reception oi? paper clips, pins or the like. The rear portion of the cover is provided with a groove 17 for the reception of a pen holder.

The side edges of the cover are cut to provide rabbets by which the cover is wholly supported upon the guides 14, whereby irictijon in the movement of the cover upon the body of the well is reduced. to a minimum. The rear portion of the cover in closed position fits lightly upon the upper portion of the well body between the guides l i in order to complete the closing of the well by the cover. It will be noted that the rear portions of the guides 14: are inclinedupwardly as at 18, and that the rear portions of the rabbets of the cover rest upon these inclines.

The cover is moved upon the insert-ion of a pen into the cup or mouth 15 in such a way that the rear portion of the cover will. ride up the inclines l8, and. when the pen is withdrawn from the well, the weight of the cover will cause it to ride down the inclines 18 and again take a positionagainst the stop 13. It will be noted that the automatic closing of the cover is accomplished in a very simple way, while the opening of the well is accomplished by a very slight pressure of the pen.

The cover, while automatic in its operation of closing after it has been moved the limited distance caused by the insertion of the pen into the well body, nevertheless may be used as an ordinary cover when it is desired to refill the well. and it. may also be used to provide a permanent opening for the insertion. of the pen by simply sliding it back upon the inclines 18 a sui'licient distance to cause it to rest stationarily thereon.

It will be seen that by making the ink.- well in two parts only with the interposed incline, there is obtained an automatically closing ink well at a cost of the usual inkwell and cover. The resultant ink-well secures the desirable features of air-automatically closing well and at the same time retains the advantages of the simple ink-well.

Referring now to Figures 4 and 5, the front stop is formed by shoulders 19 upon the front ends of the guides 20. The incline 21 is formed as a raised portion of the well body at the central portion of its rear. It will be noted that the stops 19 are placed in such position as to prevent the front of the cover from abutting directly against the raised mouth portion 22 of the well body, which prevents sticking by reason of the .presence of inky surfaces around the cup or mouth after the pen has been withdrawn.

In Figures 6, 7 and 8 is shown afurther modified form of the invention wherein the incline 23 is formed in the upper surface of the well body and the cover is provided with a correspondingly inclined projection 24, which coacts with the incline 23 in the well body in the same manner as has been described in connection with the other forms. In this form the cover is received within a recessed portion in the body of the well, or the incline may be in the cover only.

lVhile the invention has been illustrated largely with flat top forms of ink-wells, it will be understood that the same principles may be applied to wells, whose upper surfaces are curved or spherical or of other forms. In such cases the incline will have the form of a curved surface. In Figure 9 of the drawing one such modification is shown. The cover 25 under the influence of the pen insertion travels upwardly and backwardly upon the arcuate top of the well body and between guides 27 formed on the well body. The mouth or pen opening 26 is provided at the forward portion of the well by recessing the forward portion of the front wall of the well body.

It will be appreciated that the forms of the invention shown and described are mere ly indicative and that the invention may be embodied in other forms within the scope of the appended claims.

Having described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. An automatically closing ink-well consisting of but two parts, a base or body portion and a flat slidable cover, one of said parts being provided with an incline to lift one end of the cover in its limited movement incident to the insertion of a pen into the well and to cause the return of the cover to closed position upon withdrawal of the pen from the well.

2. An automatically closing ink-well consisting of but two parts, a base or body portion and a flat slid-ably mounted cover there on, an incline formed in one of said parts and adapted to lift the cover in its limited movement; incident to the insertion of a pen into the well and to cause the return of the cover to closed position upon withdrawal of the pen from the well, and a stop defining the closed position of said cover.

3. An automatically closing iulowell consisting of but two parts, a base or body portion and a flat cover slidably mounted upon the body portion, guides on the body portion upon which the cover slides, an incline adapted to lift the cover in its limited movement incident to the insertion of a pen into the well and to cause the return of the cover to closed position upon the withdrawal of the pen from the well, and means for dotining the closed position of said cover.

4. An ink-well consisting of but two parts. a base or body portion and a flat cover slidably mounted thereon, an incline beneath the cover adapted to lift the cover in its limited movement incident to the insertion of a pen into the well and to cause the return of the cover to closed position upon withdrawal of the pen from the well, said cover upon further movement upon said incline being adapted to remain stationary thereon to provide a permanent opening for the well.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

ORSON N. KELLY. 

